Wallpaper remover



atented Een. i5, QS@

attesta ortica My invention relates to apparatus for removing wall paperfrom the surface to which it is applied.

It is an object of the invention to provide a portable device fordistributing water over the suriace of the paper and applying heatdirectly thereto so as to cause the water to penetrate the paper andloosen the paste holding the paper to the surface to which it is appliedwhereby it may be easily and quickly removed with a knife in the usualmanner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heating plate adaptedto be moved over the surface of the paper to be removed and means fordistributing water between the plate and pa- 15 per, the plate havingmeans for conning the water within the area of the plate.

Another object of the invention 'is to provide a device of. theabove-mentioned character which is simple and durable in construction,reliable 20 nrd eiicient in use and inexpensive to manufac- Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during thecourse of the following description.

25 in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specication andin which like numerals i are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view oi the device,

39 Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and,

Fig. e is a horizontal section taken on line ii-t of Fig. `2.

35 In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have showna preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 denotes a heatingplate of substantially rectangular shape having a heating unit 6attached to the back thereof 40 which is enclosed in the housing l. Abracket 8 is attached to the center of the back of the housing l whichsupports the vertical handle S by means of which the device is graspedin the hand. A wire i connects the unit 6 with a control 45 switch i imounted on the bracket 8, which in turn is connected by the wire i2 to asource of electric current.

A water distributing chamber i3 is mounted above the upper edge of theheating plate and 50 is spaced therefrom by insulation or air it. The

chamber extends transversely of the plate, the front of the chamberbeing open yand covered with a ilexible cover i5 secured thereto by theframe it. A plurality of coil springs il' are disposed within thechamber between the back 5 thereof and the cover i5 which cause thecover to bulge outwardly beyond the face of the plate 5 and conform tothe surface with which it is brought into contact. The bulged outportion of the cover is provided with a row of spaced open- 10 ings i8which distribute the water from the chamber onto the surface of. theWall. Theupper portion of the face of the plate 5 has a series of spacedvertical grooves i9, so that as the plate is moved over the wet surfaceof the paper, the ribs between the grooves will gradually heat thewetted paper and at the same time the water is trapped in the grooves toproduce a scalding effect on the paper.

The water is admitted into the chamber i3 by 20 the needle valve 2tconnected to the back of the chamber and communicating therewith.Dirposed beneath the needle valve is the main control valve 2i connectedwith the needle valve by the pipe 22. The stem 23 of, the valve 2iextends 25 through the plate 5 and has a head 24 on its outer endadapted to contact with the surface against which the plate 5 is placed.A ccilspring 25 mounted on the valve stem 23 between the body of thevalve and the washer 26 normally 30 holds the valve in closed POSition,but upon contact of the head 2d with the Wall, the stem 23 is pushedinwardly opening the valve 2i. The valve 2i is connected 4with a tank ofwater 2l under pressure, or any other suitable water supply, by theconduit 28 which passes through the center of the handle 9.

Extending along the side and bottom edges of the plate 5 are channelmembers 29 adapted to receive flexible strips of suitable packingmaterial 30. The flexible strips are retained in the channel members bya series of pins 3l having one end embedded in the strips and theiroppo-` site ends extending through openings in the bottom of thechannels and equipped with heads 32 45 which limit the movement of thepins and retain the strips in place. Coil springs 33 are mounted on thepins 3i between the bottom of the channels and the washers 34 mounted onthe pins, which force the strips outwardly and cause them to conformwith the surface of the wall with which they come in contact, therebyconfining the water within the area of the heating plate.

In operation, the device is applied to the surface of the wallpaper tobe removed and upon contact of the heating'plate 5 with the surface, thehead 24 of the Valve stem 23 is forced inwardly against the tension ofthe spring 25, opening the valve 2i, so as to permit water to iiowthrough the needle valve 2U into the chamber i3 from which it isdischarged through the openings I8 onto the surface of the paper. As theplate 5 is moved over the wetted surface the ribs between the grooves i9gradually heat the wetted paper and the water is trapped in the grooveswhich produce a scalding eect that loosens the old paste instantly, sothat it may be removed with a knife in the usual manner. The packingstrips which surround the side and bottom edges of the plate 5 conne thewater within the area of the plate.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatcertain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of thesubjoined claims.

Having thus described my claim:-

l. A device of the character described coinprising a heating plate, awater distributing chamber disposed above said plate and havingdischarge openings, means in the working face of the heating plate fortrapping water passing downwardly from said chamber, and means aroundsaid plate for confining the water within the area deiined by the plate.

2. A device of the character described comprising a heating plate, awater distributing chamber disposed above said plate, a iiexible coverfor said chamber having a series of discharge openings, spring means forforcing said cover outwardly, packing strips along the sides and bottomedges of said heating plate, and means forcing said strips outwardlyagainst the surface to which said plate is applied.

3. A device of the character described comprising a plate, a heatingunit attached to the back of said plate for heating the same, a waterdistributing chamber above said plate, a nexible cover for said chamberhaving a series of discharge openings, grooves formed in the upperportion of the face of said plate for trapping water, and means aroundsaid plate for conning the water within the area defined by the plate.

4. A device of the character described comprising a plate, a heatingunit attached to the back of said plate for heating the same, a waterdistributing chamber above said plate, a flexible cover for said chamberhaving a series of discharge openings, grooves formed in the upperportion of the face of said plate for trapping water, means forconnecting a water conduit with said chamber, a control valve in saidmeans having its stem projecting through said plate adapted to contactwith the surface against which the plate is applied to actuate saidvalve, and means around said plate for confining the water within thearea of the plate.

5. A wall paper removing device consisting of a frame provided with awater retarding element along its lower edge and its opposite Verticaledges and providing a chamber bounded by said invention, I

edges, a heating plate carried by said frame, an electrical heater forheating said plate, a water distributor located above said plate andprovided with a series of jet openings through which water may bedischarged against the surface of a wall engaged by said water retardingelements, means for controlling the fiow of water through saiddistributor, and means for supplying water to said distributor.

G. A device of the character described, comprising a plate body having aface adapted for contact with a wall, yieldable elongated bodiesbordering two sides'of the plate and one end thereof, resilient meansnormally urging said bodies to extend throughout their lengths beyondthe said face of the plate, means providing a water chamber across theother end of said plate, said chamber having a wall provided with wateroutlet apertures whereby water escaping therefrom will flow downwardlyacross the said face of the plate, means in the face of the plate fortrapping the water iiowing downwardly thereover, and means for heatingsaid plate.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a plate body having aface designed for application to a wall surface, means forming a channelalong each of two opposite sides of the plate and along an end thereof,a strip of yieldable material lying in and extending throughout thelength of each of said channels, yieldable means within the channelsnormally urging said strips of material outwardly, means facilitatingthe discharge of water across the other end of said plate to flowdownwardly over the said face or the plate when the latter is in use,and means for heating said plate wherebyv the water passing thereoverwill be converted into steam.

8. A device of the character described, comprising a plate body having aface designed for application to a wall surface, means forming a channelalong each of two opposite sides of the plate and along an end thereof,a strip of yieldable material lying in and extending throughout thelength of each of said channels, yieldable means within the channelsnormally urging said strips of material outwardly, means forming a waterreceiving chamber across the other end of the plate, a yieldable wallfor one side of said chamber between the side ones of said strips ofmaterial, said wall having water outlet apertures therein, yieldablemeans normally urging said wall outwardly to the plane in which theouter faces of said strips of material lie, said plane being parallelwith and in front of the wall engaging face of said plate, and means forheating the plate whereby water discharged from said wall ,apertures andilowing downwardly over the face of the plate will be converted intosteam.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a plate body having aface designed for application to a wall surface, means forming a channelalong each 0f two opposite sides of the plate and along an end thereof,a strip of yieldable material lying in and extending throughout thelength of each of said channels, yieldable means within the channelsnormally urging said strips of material outwardly, means forming a waterreceiving chamber across the other end of the plate, a yieldable wallfor one side of said chamber between the side ones of said strips or"material, said wall having water outlet apertures therein, yieldablemeans normally l-urging said wall outwardly to the plane in which theouter faces of said strips of material lie, said plane being parallelwith and in front of the wall engaging face of said plate, means forheating the plate whereby water discharged from said wall apertures andowing downwardly over the face of the plate will be converted intosteam, and a plurality of water entrapping channels formed vertically ofthe face of said plate adjacent the upper portion thereof,

10. A device of the character described, comprising a yheating platehavinga face designed 10 for application directly to the surface of awall.'

means for discharging water at the top edge of said plate and on a lineextending substantially the full width of the plate, to flow downwardlyover the Wall engaging face thereof, and means in the face of said plateadjacent said top edge for trapping the water owing thereover, saidmeans constituting grooves extending vertically of the plate and ofgradually decreasing depth downwardly.

MAXEY C. COOPER. 10

